By Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Nnewi
In Igbo land, last or final ofa-la festival is the elaborate ceremony used to bid farewell to an Igwe, or Eze (traditional ruler) to acknowledge that he had taken the necessary and inevitable journey into eternity to be with his ancestors and Chukwu Okike Abiama.
It is also believed that Igwes or Ezes do not die when they are no more, but have travelled or embarked on a journey to the next world to go and be with the ancestors to look after and fight for and protect their subjects.
In most, if not all the communities in Igbo land, it is the tradition that when an Igwe or Eze dies, and is being buried, the corpse is not for public glare, but only allowed to be seen by the immediate family members and members of…
